NHL TV viewers slow to come back
NEW YORK (AP) – The NHL is hoping its television viewership will bounce back from another lockout.
View 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Odds
Ratings rebounded – eventually – after the last work stoppage, which wiped out an entire season. Healthy numbers from recent years in many cases matched or exceeded pre-lockout levels in an era of ever-increasing entertainment options.
When this year’s lockout-shortened slate opens Saturday, NBC will show the Los Angeles Kings raising their championship banner, then regional coverage of Blackhawks-Kings or
Penguins-Flyers. The network plans to show the most hockey since it started televising the league after the last lockout, with 14 regular-season windows for games.
Executive producer Sam Flood says: “The hockey fan is a passionate group, and we’re cautiously optimistic they’ll come back.”
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitterand Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!